Southwest Airlines is investigating reports that a pilot said “Let’s go Brandon” during a recent flight, a phrase that has caught fire in conservative circles to express opposition to President Biden.
“Southwest does not condone Employees sharing their personal political opinions while on the job serving our Customers, and one Employee’s individual perspective should not be interpreted as the viewpoint of Southwest and its collective 54,000 Employees,” the airline said in a statement issued through Twitter on Sunday.
The airline said it would be launching an investigation into the situation and would address it with any of the workers involved. Southwest said it does not “tolerate any behavior that encourages divisiveness.”
The airline’s statement comes after an Associated Press reporter said that she heard the pilot use the phrase during a flight while on vacation.
The AP reported that the incident occurred on Friday morning on a flight from Houston to Albuquerque, N.M. The pilot used it during his greeting which evoked “audible gasps from some passengers.”
The phrase “Let’s Go Brandon” was introduced earlier this month during a NASCAR race in Alabama. A reporter who was interviewing driver Brandon Brown apparently thought a crowd behind her was yelling “Let’s go Brandon” when they were actually chanting “F— Joe Biden.”
The phrase, which has since become viral, has been shared by some lawmakers and has even been used as part of a fundraising pitch by former President Trump.
Last week, Trump’s campaign team started selling shirts for a contribution of at least $45.
“You’ve probably heard it being chanted anywhere patriotic Americans get together. Well now, President Trump has put America’s favorite new phrase on a custom shirt,” the campaign email said.